Oakland Raiders: Important day at NFL Combine

By Jeremy Hayes

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Combine has arrived, and it is time for theOakland Raidersto scout for their future players.

More importantly, the offensive linemen took part in the combine today, which is an area that needs more skill. With all the quarterback controversy, all of Raider nation can agree, no matter who the quarterback, the offensive line was terrible. The protection style was not superior, but still, the offensive line may need the most work, more than any position on the team.

Six offensive linemen recorded a 40-yard dash time that was under five seconds, which is remarkable. It shows that offensive linemen are becoming more and more athletic, while also being strong blockers on the line. The Raiders are known for drafting strong combine athletes at the draft, so they may want to take a look at one of those six linemen.

If there was one athletic freak from today, it had to be Terron Armstead from Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He weighs in at 306 pounds and stands in at 6-5, and all that size along with athletic power makes him a eye-opener for the draft.

Armstead recorded the fastest 40-yard time running a 4.71, and also had the highest vertical jump and broad jump.

That doesn’t mean he is strong, right?

Plenty of fans would overlook the fact that he had 31 bench reps, which was one less than the strongest lineman at the combine.

With a little work on Armstead’s hand speed when battling pass-rushers, the Raiders could take him in the third round if they trade around with some of their draft picks.